Alarm condition indicator



May 5, 1970 G. N. KANIWEC 3,509,711

' ALARM CONDITION INDICATOR Filed April 5, 1967 I N VEV TOR GEORGE N.KAN l WEC ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,509,711 .ALARM CONDITIONINDICATOR George N. Kaniwec, Southington, C0nn., assignor to TheIngraham Company, Bristol, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut FiledApr. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 628,677 Int. Cl. G041) 13/00, 25/00; G04c 21/16US. Cl. 58-22.7 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrictimepiece including alarm set and alarm postponement devices whereinillumination is provided for the timepiece dial face and signal means,including illumination enhancing its visibility, is provided andcoordinated with the alarm mechanism to extensively visually indicatethe set condition of the alarm mechamsm.

This invention pertains to alarm clock signal and illumination apparatusand more particularly to such means for electric alarm clocks having analarm postponement or arrest feature.

Two distinct developments have enhanced popularity of electric alarmclocks: introduction of an alarm arrest or postponement feature whichenables a user to shut down an operating alarm for a fixed time lapsewhereafter the alarm will again sound; and lighting of clocks withunohstructive, subdued illumination.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved lightingsystem for alarm clocks.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved visibleindicator for alarm clocks to signal the operative condition of thealarm conditioning control.

Another object of this invention is to provide illumination for anelectric alarm clock which utilizes clock face illumination means andseparate alarm condition indicating illumination means entirely isolatedfrom the clock face illumination means, thereby to avoid confusion as toalarm condition.

Another object of this invention is to provide an illumination systemfor an electric alarm clock having an alarm postponement control whereinthe condition of the alarm is visibly signaled throughout an areagenerally surrounding the clock while, at the same time, visiblyidentifying the postponement control under darkened conditions.

Other objects and advantages of this invention become apparent in thespecification and claims below.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation, partly broken away, and taken along the line22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic wiring plan which may be utilized with the deviceof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an inverted perspective view, partly in section and partly cutaway, showing the masked dial face illumination assembly of the deviceof FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view, partly cut away, showing the switch and actuatorfor the alarm and alarm condition indicator light of the device of FIG.1; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of the alarm arrest control button, theilluminating source therewith associated, and the bracket meanspositioning the illuminating source directly under the control button,of the device of FIG. 1.

Ice

The preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings shows an electricclock 26 having a substantially opaque case 1 enclosing a translucentdial face 2 with appropriate indicia spaced therearound and indicated bythe usual timepiece hands connected through the dial face to aconventional movement 4 supported within the case 1, the dial face 2being enclosed with a transparent cover. Motor 5, powered through linecord 6, is mounted within the case, as usual, to drive the movement 4.

An illuminator assembly, shown generally by 7, pro vides backillumination for dial face 2 and includes neon lamp 8 capped by opaqueshield 9. Opaque sleeve 11 encloses the leads for the lamp so that theopaque cap and sleeve combine to prevent leakage of light from the lampends. The assembled lamp unit is fitted within an appropriatelycontoured portion 20 of the edge of a cupshaped illuminator 13 formedfrom Lucite, Du Ponts acrylic resin molding powder. That face of theilluminator, adjacent the dial, is grooved or otherwise contoured, asshown by 21, to reflect light on to the dial in accordance with knowntechniques. Opaque tape 10 is secured over the lamp and the adjacentouter periphery of the cup 13 to hold the lamp in position and topreclude leakage of light radially outwardly. A flanged and opaque cup12, appropriately cut away to admit the assembled lamp unit to the cup13, is fitted within the cup 13 to preventlight from leaking rearwardlyof the clock face. The translucent property of the face 2 precludes anystructure behind the same being visible.

The push-pull rod 14 is illustrated as the alarm conditioning meanswhich cooperates with the conventional clapper restraining bar (notshown) to control the asso ciated clapper or other alarm means whichsounds at the predetermined time selected by the user. This rod is alsocoupled to light switch 15 which is so wired from the line cord 6 to asecond miniature lamp 19 that when the rod 14 is drawn out from thecase, the switch is moved to close the circuit shown in FIG. 3, thusilluminating the lamp 19. The aforesaid condition of the rod 14 and itsassociated mechanism is the alarm set condition. When the switch 15 isin the non-set position, that is, when the rod 14 is pushed to itsinmost posture, the lamp 19 is extinguished and the alarm is restrainedfrom operation.

Lamp 19 is mounted on bracket 20 just under the position assumed by thetransparent Lucite alarm arrest control button 18. This control buttonrests upon and is used to control a conventional alarm arrest mechanismincluding actuator bar 22 which is suitably connected to temporarilyrestrain the alarm subsequent to initial actuation of the alarm. Thecontrol button 18 protrudes through the top panel 24 of the clockcase 1. Protruding as it it does, through approximately the center ofthe top of the opaque case, the control button can be seen readily inlighted surroundings, at least horizontally peripherally for 360 degreesaround the case. When in darkened surroundings, the control, whenilluminated by lamp 19, is visible to the same extent as it is inlighted surroundings.

Control button '18 is remote and isolated from the clock face and nevercan be seen with the aid of light distributed to the clock face throughthe assembly 7. Moreover, the transparent control 18 will admit and passlight upward only from the lamp 19. The alarm system of the clock willtherefore present a lighted indication through the control 18 if set,and a non-lighted indication if not set. In the dark, a non-lightedstatus of the control 18 cannot be confused with the dial faceillumination to cause a person to imagine a lighted and therefore setcondition.

The invention thus provides a simple, durable, reliable electric alarmclock having an alarm arrest or postponement feature and signal andillumination means therefor, readily visible from around the clock, atall times, to indicate set condition or posture of the alarm system andisolated and distinct from the clock dial face illumination. Theinvention thus eliminates the need to manually check the posture of thealarm set control 14, which manual checking often involves fumbling inthe dark, or sometimes in failure to effect any check at all.

I claim:

1. An electrically actuated timepiece comprising an alarm set device, analarm postponement device, switch means operated by the alarm setdevice, and illumination means connected to the switch means andassociated with the alarm postponement device for illuminating the samewhen the alarm set device is operated to set condition.

2. The timepiece of claim 1 wherein the illumination means operates todischarge light through the alarm postponement device to indicate thecondition of the alarm set device 3. An electrically actuated alarmclock including an opaque case, and a translucent dial face, incombination with a transparent illuminator within the easing rearwardlyof and adjacent the dial face; a masked bulb fitted within theilluminator to cast its light thereinto, and shield means precludingdistribution of light rearwardly into the casing; manually accessiblealarm control means to ready the alarm; transparent manually operablealarm postponement means separate from the alarm control means, andprotruding through the casing; a second bulb so fitted within the casingand so proximately adjacent the transparent alarm postponement means asto cast its light thereinto for providing extensive visibility of itsoutput; and a switch coupled to the alarm control means and the secondbulb for illuminating the second bulb upon operation of the alarmcontrol means to alarm readiness posture, providing constant visualindication of the condition of the alarm control means. I

4. In an electrically actuated timepiece of the class fitted in a caseand having alarm means including an alarm set device, an alarmpostponement device protruding through the case, a manually accessiblecontrol for each device, and dial face illumination means, theimprovements in combination with said timepiece of means to precludelight from said dial face illumination means entering the alarmpostponement device, second illumination means within the caseconstituting an alarm illumination means, controlled by the alarm setdevice, shielding to bar output of the second illumination means fromthe dial face, said second illumination means disposed to direct itsoutput through the alarm postponement device for providing extensivevisibility of and constant visual indication of the condition of thealarm set device, and a switch coupled to the manually accessible alarmset control to illuminate the alarm postponement device simultaneouslywith operation of the alarm set control to ready the alarm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,081,594 3/ 1963 Atkins et al5822.7 X 3,195,300 7/1965 Wingler 5822.7 3,220,175 11/1965 Richmond582l.155 3,308,617 3/1967 Balchunas 5822.7 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 774,735 5/ 1957 Great Britain.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner J. F. GONZALES, AssistantExaminer US. Cl. X.R. 5850

